What More Could You Hope For In a Rock Show?
The Grand Rapids Press, MI
December 20, 2005
Maybe it was Steven Tyler's famously cavernous mouth, spitting out "Walk This Way," "Dream On" and "Same Old Song and Dance."
Or maybe it was those airport runway-size ramps extending halfway into the Van Andel Arena crowd, giving hundreds of fans a chance to high-five the stars and get close-up cell-phone snapshots of the sweaty, lively and age-defying Tyler and guitarist Joe Perry.
Or maybe it was Lenny Kravitz's polished, guns-a-blazing opening set that got the near-capacity crowd of 10,200-plus juiced up and ready to "Let Love (and Lenny) Rule."
Or maybe it was the sheer volume of Aerosmith's 97-minute set, a decibel-drubbing display that bassist Tom Hamilton describes as "an organized, primal thing."
Whatever it was, Aerosmith's exultant return to Grand Rapids on Saturday -- the band's last tour stop of 2005 -- suggested strongly that these 50-something boys are still audience-snaring road warriors who can mount an eye-candy rock show as bombastic as any, with an attitude to match.
"We play loud, fast music," Hamilton told me earlier this month in trying to explain the band's continued success after 30-plus years.
Yes, from the moment Aerosmith blasted off with a cover of The Beatles' "Helter Skelter," it was clear the ears were going to take a beating of the loud, hard-rock, hit-parade variety with song titles ("Livin' on the Edge," "Back in the Saddle") that do a better job of reflecting a band's raucous character than any in rock, with the possible exception of AC/DC.
Tyler and Perry's impressive rock-star aerobics had fans inflamed from the get-go, even if the sound mix wasn't as crisp at it could have been. (Dialing down the instrument volume might have helped.)
Because, while sets may have gotten a bit shorter as the band has gotten older, no one could accuse these guys of cutting back on verve: Saturday's "same old song and dance" featured more lights, bigger amps, longer ramps and just as many crowd-pleasing antics with a bare minimum of stage chitchat.
Kravitz kicks off the party
Kravitz proved he's a hit factory of his own to open things, with an eight-piece band that powered through nearly flawless versions of singles such as "California," "American Woman" and "Fly Away." Never lacking in charisma, Kravitz played it loud and proud. But he rarely let that swagger overshadow his feel-good message or the rootsy charm that had him strolling the arena to greet fans and sign autographs at one point.
No rocker, however, has more swagger than Tyler, whose scarves, tight jeans, elasticity and boundless energy kept female fans jostling for position close to stage ramps all night. Still, Perry nearly rivaled Tyler in that department, even taking off his shirt at the end of the night to beat his guitar strings with it on the encore-closing "Draw the Line."
Was that an odd bit of overzealous improvisation? Unlikely.
Kravitz and Aerosmith aren't the improvisational jam-band types. But as consummate professionals of the "loud, fast" variety, they manage just fine.
December 20, 2005
Maybe it was Steven Tyler's famously cavernous mouth, spitting out "Walk This Way," "Dream On" and "Same Old Song and Dance."
Or maybe it was those airport runway-size ramps extending halfway into the Van Andel Arena crowd, giving hundreds of fans a chance to high-five the stars and get close-up cell-phone snapshots of the sweaty, lively and age-defying Tyler and guitarist Joe Perry.
Or maybe it was Lenny Kravitz's polished, guns-a-blazing opening set that got the near-capacity crowd of 10,200-plus juiced up and ready to "Let Love (and Lenny) Rule."
Or maybe it was the sheer volume of Aerosmith's 97-minute set, a decibel-drubbing display that bassist Tom Hamilton describes as "an organized, primal thing."
Whatever it was, Aerosmith's exultant return to Grand Rapids on Saturday -- the band's last tour stop of 2005 -- suggested strongly that these 50-something boys are still audience-snaring road warriors who can mount an eye-candy rock show as bombastic as any, with an attitude to match.
"We play loud, fast music," Hamilton told me earlier this month in trying to explain the band's continued success after 30-plus years.
Yes, from the moment Aerosmith blasted off with a cover of The Beatles' "Helter Skelter," it was clear the ears were going to take a beating of the loud, hard-rock, hit-parade variety with song titles ("Livin' on the Edge," "Back in the Saddle") that do a better job of reflecting a band's raucous character than any in rock, with the possible exception of AC/DC.
Tyler and Perry's impressive rock-star aerobics had fans inflamed from the get-go, even if the sound mix wasn't as crisp at it could have been. (Dialing down the instrument volume might have helped.)
Because, while sets may have gotten a bit shorter as the band has gotten older, no one could accuse these guys of cutting back on verve: Saturday's "same old song and dance" featured more lights, bigger amps, longer ramps and just as many crowd-pleasing antics with a bare minimum of stage chitchat.
Kravitz kicks off the party
Kravitz proved he's a hit factory of his own to open things, with an eight-piece band that powered through nearly flawless versions of singles such as "California," "American Woman" and "Fly Away." Never lacking in charisma, Kravitz played it loud and proud. But he rarely let that swagger overshadow his feel-good message or the rootsy charm that had him strolling the arena to greet fans and sign autographs at one point.
No rocker, however, has more swagger than Tyler, whose scarves, tight jeans, elasticity and boundless energy kept female fans jostling for position close to stage ramps all night. Still, Perry nearly rivaled Tyler in that department, even taking off his shirt at the end of the night to beat his guitar strings with it on the encore-closing "Draw the Line."
Was that an odd bit of overzealous improvisation? Unlikely.
Kravitz and Aerosmith aren't the improvisational jam-band types. But as consummate professionals of the "loud, fast" variety, they manage just fine.
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